EDITORIAL: The tangled web of political money

Friday

Mar 29, 2013 at 12:01 AMMar 29, 2013 at 6:08 PM

The news out of Florida surrounding sweepstakes business owner Chase Burns of Oklahoma is troubling to say the least. Nearly 60 people have been arrested there on fraud charges and dozens of sweepstakes businesses have been closed by law enforcement in what is being described by authorities as a gambling operation disguised as a charitable operation to raise money for military veteransí causes.

Florida officials also say that they are now looking into political campaign donations to Florida politicians that might be connected to Burns and his International Internet Technologies company. In North Carolina, the nonpartisan campaign advocacy group Democracy North Carolina already has looked into donations by Burns and his wife to legislative candidates in last yearís General Assembly races and the N.C. governorís race ó and the findings not only strike close to home, but are an interesting lesson in political gamesmanship. North Carolina leaders have been debating the on-again, off-again legality of sweepstakes operations in the state for the past few years.

Democracy North Carolina, which is headed by Bob Hall, found that Burns and his wife donated during the past two-year election cycle a total of $235,500 to the campaigns of 67 legislative candidates, Gov. Pat McCrory, the N.C. Republican House Caucus and the N.C. Republican Senate Caucus.

The list reported donations to two legislators from Cleveland and Gaston counties, Rep. Tim Moore who represents the 111th House District ($4,000), Republican state Sen. Kathy Harrington ($4,000) and Rep. John Torbett who represents the 108th House District ($2,500). The legislators have said they will donate the money to charity.

According to Democracy North Carolina, 24 Democratic and 43 Republican candidates for the General Assembly received donations ranging from $1,000 to $8,000 (the maximum for donations from two people). Four of them ó three Democrats and one Republican ó who each received $1,000, lost their races. Fortunately, it seems from Hallís groupís research that only one questionable donation was made, a $2,500 check attributed to International Internet Technologies. Donations from businesses to campaigns are illegal.

But the pattern of donations shows how someone involved with controversial legislative matters plays the field with contributions to members of both parties. Burns knew that donations buy name recognition and access for the donor, and it helps to be known by those in both parties.

McCrory has said his campaign will donate the $8,000 he received to charity. Some of the others who received money from Burns have said that, too. Such donations would be good gestures by any candidate who still has campaign money left.